Stepladder



March 6, 1928. 1,661,587

N. VARKER ET AL STEPLADDER' Original Filed July 9, 1924 Patented Mar. 6,1928.

"UNITED STATES PATE'LNTIV'OF'FICE.'-

NEWTON vsnxnnpronn a. mains, Ann examine n. BARTLETT, or cons CITY,

- Wisconsin.

' s'rnrmnnna Application w a, 1924, Serial No. 'vaspu. Renewed January.17, 1928.

The invention relates to stepladders, and has for its object to providethe side bars thereof with extensible legs slidably mounted on the outersides of the bars, and which legs are held in various adjusted positionsby means of a pivoted bail carried by each side bar at its inner sideand arching the rails and the extensible legs and cooperating withtransversely disposed slots in the outer faces of the extensible legs.The bails incline upwardly and outwardly and are held in engagement withthe extensible legs by means of coiled springs carried by bolts on whichthe arms of the bails are pivotally mounted, and which coiled springsare provided with arms which cooperate with the arms of the bails, saidinclined positions of the bails allowing the legs to be extended byimparting a pull thereon and positively holding the legs against upwardmovement after they are extended to the desired position, and thetransverse portions of the bails are disposed in grooves of theextensible le S.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in thecombination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown inthe drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope ofwhat s claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing 1- Figure l is a side elevationof the ladder showing thedevice ap lied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front e evation of the ladder.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the main body of theladder, which body is formed from side bars 2, and horizontally disposedtreads 3. Slidably mounted in collars 4, and on the outer sides of thebars 2 are extension legs 5, which legs are provided with transverselydisposed spaced slots 6, in an one of which slots the transverseportions of the bails 8 are received, consequently after the legs 5 havebeen extended the bails 8 will hold said legs in extended positions.Bails 8 arch the bars 2 and the extension'legs 5 and have their arms 9pivotally mounted on transversely disposed bolts 10 carried by brackets11 which are secured to the inner sides of the bars 2, and the bailsincline upwardly and outwardly, thereby providing means whereby when thetransverse portions 7 thereof are in any of the grooves 6, the greaterthe weight on the ladder as a whole, the greater the clamping action ofthe bails which by being inclined will force the extension legs 5 intofrictional binding engagement with the outer sides of the bars 2, andalso by being inclined, a downward pull on the extension legs willpivotally move the bails 8 to positions where the transverse portions 7thereof will be out of engagement with the grooves 6. Surrounding thebolts 10 on opposite sides of the brackets 11 are coiled sprmgs 12, oneofthe ends of which engage the inner sides of the rails 2 at 13, and thearms 14; of said springs extend u wardly and out- Wardly at oppositesides 0? one of the treads 3, and are hooked over the arms 9 at 15 andexert an inward pull on the bails 8, thereby normally maintaining thetransverse portion 7 of the bails in engagement with the outer sides ofthe extension legs 5, and insure the engagement of the transverseportions 7 of the bails with the grooves 6 during the adjustmentdownwardly of the extension legs.

From the above it will be seen that extension legs are provided for astepladder, whereby said stepladder may have one of its 85 legs disposedon supports at different elevations, and the suspension legs will bepositively held by means of the upwardly and outwardly inclined bails 8at alltimes, and in a manner whereby the greater the weight on theladder, the greater the holding power applied on the extension leg bythe bails. It will also be seen that b inclining the bails upwardly andoutwar ly and providing spring means for normally forcing the transverseportions thereof inwardly, the extension legs may be extended downwardlyto any position desired by simply imparting a pull thereon, and thesprings will force the bails into inter-engagement with the notches 1and hold the legs in extended positions.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful isA ladder attachment, said attachment comprising a bracket, said bracketbeing 105 adapted to be securedto the inner side of a rail of a ladder,an extension leg engaging the outer side of the rail and provided with a'pluralit of transverse rooves, a bolt extending t rough the brac et andextending 1 0 beyond the edges of the rail of the ladder, e to the armsof the bail, the other ends of 0 U-shaped bail, said U-shaped bailhaving its said coiled springs being anchored to the arms pivotallyconnected to the outer ends inner side of the rail of the ladder. of thebolt, said bail having its transverse In testimony whereof we havesigned our 5 portion disposed in one of the grooves of the nam s to thisspecification,

extension rail, coiled springs surrounding the bolt between oppositesides of the NEWTON VARKER. bracket and the arms of the bail, one of theJOHN T. KEMPS.

ends of said coiled springs being connected CHARLES H. BARTLETT.

